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Lawrence McEachin
Professional TeacherWhy do English speakers say "break a leg" when they want to wish you good luck?
It sounds strange, right? Why would breaking a leg be good?
This phrase comes from theater tradition. Actors believed that wishing someone "good luck" directly would actually bring bad luck — so they said the opposite. "Break a leg" became a way to wish someone well without jinxing the performance.
English is full of phrases like this — idioms that don't make literal sense but carry cultural meaning. Learning them isn't just about vocabulary. It's about understanding how English speakers think and communicate.
Which of these phrases means "to reveal a secret"?
Spill the beans
Break the ice
Hit the nail on the head
Let the cat out of the bag
6 quizzed
Jan 26, 2026 3:55 PM
Lawrence McEachin
Language Skills
Arabic (Levantine), English, French, Kurdish, Portuguese, Russian, Berber (Tamazight), Turkish
Learning Language
French, Kurdish, Portuguese, Russian, Berber (Tamazight), Turkish
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